Ironing machine



Sept. 11, 1928.

- L. S. HALLOWELL IRONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet NWy, W w or Q I N VEN TOR.

Sept. 11, 1928.

\L. s. HALLOWEL-L IRONING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 20, 1926 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS,

Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS S.'HALLOWELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSTGNOR TO THE PROSPERITYCOMPANY INC., 01'' SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

IRONING MACHINE.

Application filed February 20, 1926. Serial No. 89,784.

This invention relates to ironing machines, particularly that class ofironir g machines known as flat work ironers, and has for its object aflat work iron which is particularly simple in construction, economicalin manufacture, and highly etficientand durable in use, and also inwhich adjustments are readily made, lint, moisture, dust, eto, removedfrom the work while being ironed.

Other objects appear throughout the specifi 'ation.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters represent corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fiat work iron embodying myinvent-ion.

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the suction means. a

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views taken at an angle to eachother of one of the suction nozzles and the contiguous part of thesuction pipe.

Figure 6 1s a detail view of the sectional link connected to each of thepressure rolls. This machine comprises, generally a base for conveyingthe work, rolls cooperating with the face of the base, means foradjusting the pressure of the rolls and suction means for removing dirt,lint, moisture, etc.,

arranged to be controlled in its operation by the work passing under thenozzles of the suction means so that the suction only takes placethrough the particular nozzles engaged with the work. Some of theforegoing features may, however, obviously be omitted.

The base for carrying the work is here shown as a drum movable about anaxis, this drum being internally heated;

1 designates the drum having a hollow axle 2 journaled in bearings 3, ina suitable frame 4, the drum being rotated in any suitable manner as bya driver mounted on one end of the axle 2, the driver being here shownas a worm wheel 6 which meshes with a worm 7 on the shaft of an electricmotor 8 mounted on a bracket 9 at one end of the machine.

The drum is heated by coils 10 located within the drtnn near theperipheral wail thereof, one end of the coil being connected to an inletpipe 11 extending through one end of the hollow axle 2, and the otherend of the coil to an outlet pipe 12 extending out through'the other endof the hollow axle. As here shown a double coil is used for producingthe maximum heating of the surface of the drum. The coil is locatedwithin an annular heat insulated chamber formed by an inner drum 13,heat insulating material 14 as some asbestoes composition, being placedin the inner drum to confine the heat of the coils to the periphery ofthe drum.

15 are the rolls coacting with the periphery of the drum, these rollsbeing adjustable toward and from the periphery of the drum and eachbeing here shown as having axles 16 at its ends journaled in a bearingbox 17 sl'idable in suitable ways or guides 18 formed in the frame 4 ofthe machine, these ways extending toward the axis of the drum, andpreferably radially relatively to the axis of the drum.

The pressure of the rolls are varied by means common to all of the rollsor means acting on all the bearing boxes at each end of the drum formoving them radially as seen in Figure 1. A link 19 is pivoted at 20 tothe bearing box 17 at each end of the roll, this link extending inwardlyon the outside of the frame toward the axis of the drum 1 and beingpivoted at 21 at its inner end to an adjusting member mounted on theaxle 2. Each link includes a spring 22. Each link is composed ofsections, the sections including an intermediate cylinder 23 in whichthe spring is located, the cylinder having a head at its outer endpivoted at 20 to the bearing box 17, a head or spring abutment slidablein the cylinder and the stem 25 connected to the head and extendingthrough the inner head of the cylinder 23 and pivoted at 21 to theadjusting member 26, the spring being located between the springabutment and the head at the inner end of the cylinder.

All the links connected to like ends of the rolls are operatedsimultaneously by means for turning adjusting members about the axis ofthe drum. Each adjusting member is here shown as a. disk 26 mounted onthe axis of the drum, and a worm 27 rotatable with the disk. Theoperating means comprises a worm 28 which meshes with the worm gear 27,the worm 28 is mounted upon a shaft 29 suitably journaled in the frameand having a handle wheel 30 at the front end of the frame. There isoperating means 30 including the hand wheel shaft 29, worm 28, wormwheel 27, etc., at each end of the frame so that the opposite ends ofthe roll are adjustable independently of each other toward and from theeriphery of the drum.

T e suction means includes a suction pipe extending transversely of theperiphery of the drum, and a nozzle mounted on the pipe and arranged toestablish communication with the pipe when the nozzle is shifted by thework passing on the drum under the nozzle. Preferably a series ofnozzles are arranged side by side on the pipe so that the suction canoccur onl in the nozzles coacting with the work an hence a moreeffective suction obtained, or rather some of the nozzles do not workidl Preferably there is a plurality of suction pipes located between oralternately with the rolls. r

31 designates the suction pipes extending transversely of the peripheryof the drum and suitably supported in the frame 4, these pipes beingconnected to a suitable suction creating device as an exhauster 32actuated by the motor 33, the exhauster being connected by the pipe 34to a header pipe communicating with the suction pipes 31. The suctionpipes are provided with inlet openings 35 along the length thereof andthe nozzles 36 are shown as hollow boxes mounted on each pipe 31 to moverelatively thereto and to normally close the inlets 35, the boxes havingslots 37 in their bottoms through which the-lint, moisture and dust isdrawn.

The inlets 35 are arranged in the upper side of the pipe 31 and eachnozzle 36 has a wall 38 normally covering or closing said inlets 35 whenthe nozzle is resting upon the working surface of the drum. However,each nozzle 36 is mounted to shift relatively to the pipe 31 so as tolift the wall 38 off the inlet pipes 35 to establish communicationbetween the nozzle and the suction pipe 31, such lifting being effectedby the work on the drum passing under the nozzle. As here shown eachnozzle 36 which, as before stated, is in the form of a box is formedwith openings through which the suction pipe 31 extends, the openingsbeing elongated in av radial direction relatively to the drum so thatwhen the nozzle 36 is pushed upwardly it can lift its wall 38 off fromthe inlets 35.

4O designates the elongated opening in each end wall of the nozzle 36,through which opening the pipe 31 extends. In order to seal the jointbetween the nozzle and the pipe where the pipepasses through the endwalls "of the nozzle,-a suitable washer or packing disk 41 is located,this disk fitting the pipe and closing the opening 40 so that thesuction inside of the nozzle does not draw through the openings 40 alongthe pipe 31., The nozzles 36 are capable of a slight axial shiftingmovement, that is they are floatingly mounted on the pipe 31, and thediscs 41 slide along the pipe 31 with the nozzles. They are locatedbetween the end walls of each nozzle and the wall of an annular channel42 provided along the margin of each noz le 35. The construction of thenozzle box 1 self forms no part of this invention. Obviously, althoughthe exhauster 32 is running continuously the suction will not be active,except when the work is passing under the nozzles and then the suctionis effective only through the nozzles actively engaged with the work.

The machine is provided with suitable feeding or conveyor belts 45actuated from the driving axle of the drum in any suitable manner as bya belt 46.

In operation the tension of the rolls can be readily adjusted by turningthe hand wheels 30 and thus moving the rolls radially relatively to thedrum and the drum is economically heated through the double coils 10located in a heat insulating chamher and during the passage of the workover the drum moisture and dirt, etc., are removed therefrom by thenozzles.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In an ironing machine the combination of a movable base member forcarrying the work, a suction nozzle extending transversely of theworking face of the base member, a suction pipe on which the nozzle ismounted having an inlet into the nozzle said nozzle having a closurenormally closing the inlet, and arranged to be moved to open the inletby the shifting movement of the nozzle effected by the work passingunder the nozzle.

2. In an ironing machine the combination of a movable base member forsupportin the work, a suction nozzle normally arranged to rest on thebase member and being moved off the same by the work on the base member,a suction pipe on which the nozzle is mounted, the suction pipe havinginlet into the nozzle'and the nozzle being movable relatively to thesuction pipe and bein normally arranged so that it closes the inlet andopens the inlet when shifted by the work passing under the nozzle.

3. An ironing machine comprising a base for carrying the work, a suctionpipe extending transversel of the base and having an outlet through itsperiphery, a nozzle mounted on the suction pipe to rock about the sameand normally resting on the base, the nozzle having a cover portion forclosing the inlet into the suction pipe, and said nozzle being mountedon the suction pipe to be moved relatively thereto by the work carriedby ltm the base under the nozzle and to shift said cover portion toremove said inlet. 7

4. In an ironing machine the combination of a base for carrying thework, a suction pipe extending transversely of the working face of thebase and havin a plurality of inlets spaced apart throughout its length,a plurality of nozzles mounted on the pipe and normally'closing saidinlets, the nozzles being mounted on the pipe to move transversely ofthe axis of sald pipe and the nozzles also havin closure means fornormally closing the in ets and arranged to uncover and open the inletswhen the nozzles are moved relatively to the pipe by the work passingunder the nozzles.

5. In an ironing machine the combination of a base for carrying thework, a suction pipe extending transversely of the working face of thebase and having a plurality of inlets spaced apart throughout itslength, a plurality of nozzles mounted on the pipe and normally closingsaid inlets, the nozzles being mounted on the ipe to move transverselyof the axis of sald pipe and the nozzles also having closure meansnormally closing the inlets and arranged to uncover and open the inletswhen the nozzles are movedrelatively to the pipe by the work passingunder the nozzles, eachnozzle being in the form,of a box having anopening through which the pipe extends and a wall of the box coveringthe pipe to close the inlets, the

opening in the side walls of the nozzle through which the pipe extendsbeing of a greater length than the diameter of the pipe whereby movementof 'the nozzle by the work passing under them lifts said wall off theinlets.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Davenport, in thecounty of Scott and State of Iowa, this 5th day of February, 1926. v

LOUIS S. HALLOWELL.

